Back in my mid-twenties, I would have given anything to wake up in the morning and think, "I have no desires today; today I am happy with exactly who I am and what I have in this precious life." Which, coincidentally, is exactly what I woke up thinking today, on my 34th birthday.
The thing is, all of the days I woke up wishing I had more or something different are the very reason why I can appreciate the amazing life I am living. I should really thank all those tear-filled days and those times filled with unanswered prayers, huh? Thank you, icky days and unknown times...because you happened, I am truly, finally able to see the beauty in the world around me.
I am married to my soul mate (the most amazing person) and just 9 weeks away from giving birth to a little person we created together... I have an incredibly loving and supportive family that has always given me reason to believe the world was my oyster and I could do anything I put my mind to... I have many wonderful friends who make me laugh and love me just the way I am... I have two of the sweetest dogs on Earth that make frantic little 'CLICK CLICK' noises as they excitedly dance on the wood floors when I get home from work, who shower me with smiles & messy kisses.... And, uh, I have wood floors, which means I actually have a HOME, a safe, warm (and cool - YAY!) home... I have a job to go to each day, one that is ending on the last day of this year, which will give me some of the much-needed time I crave to spend with our Chickpea, to take time to become the mom I have always dreamed of being... And, sure, I have a ton of material things that are pretty and useful, and I have the money - for now, anyway (if Chickpea is a girl, Lord help us!) - to spend on the things we need and want.
So, yeah. I don't need a single thing. A dear friend sent me a text message today that said, "Think of any kicks from Chickpea today as his/her way of saying, "Happy birthday mama, I love you!" And it made me smile from here to there. I'm loved, and kicked from the inside, and all is right in the world.
Showing posts with label Lucy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lucy. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
I LOVE me some Lucy!
Two years ago today, Lucy came into our lives. Mark and I were newly married and had been mulling over the idea to get Molly a companion, since she showed signs of loneliness. As mentioned here, Mark caught me sniffling over one of those ASPCA commercials and totally caved.
A week and a few days later, Molly had a pet and we had a little...situation on our hands.
To be fair to Lucy, our perception was skewed; Molly was pretty much the perfect dog from the day we got her. She made it reaaaallllly easy to look like good puppy owners. We taught her a couple tricks, but other than that, she was an angel from the get-go. So when we got Lucy - a year old at that point and set in her ways - it was a bit of a rude awakening: WE WERE ACTUALLY GONNA HAVE TO "PARENT" THIS ONE.
I recall coming home on the fourth day of having Lucy, stepping in yet another dominantly-laid puddle of her urine, getting scratched to shreds by her once again, and immediately bursting into tears. I wailed something along the lines of, "I...I don't liiiiike her....I'm not sure I can do this!!" It was pretty pathetic. Mark and I talked it over and decided we would give it until the end of the week - two days more, to be exact.
Not even kidding you, the next day, Lucy showed a tiny bit of improvement. And so she stayed.
It wasn't easy breaking her of the bad habits. Sadly, it was clear that whoever had owned her before she was rescued hadn't spent any time with her. She didn't even know how to sit, she jumped up non-stop (causing actual bloodshed - most likely due to anxiety and a fear of not getting enough attention), she never smiled and was very possessive and dominant over Molly - the older, bigger, more-seasoned dog in the house. I didn't know where to start, really. I began to show her that she would only get attention if she acted a certain, behaved way. Being the lover she is, that eventually began to pay off and she made great strides.
Two years later, I wouldn't hesitate to say that it's this gal who is the better-behaved dog of the two. She is my sweet little love, the one who is always there to give a little nudge and let you know she's there. She is smiley, gentle and kind, doesn't jump or scratch, and she listens so, so well. I'm very proud of how far she's come and am so glad we gave her the chance to prove that we had what it took as a team to get past the growing pains.
I guess you could say it was Lucy that gave me the confidence to know I could be a good, dedicated mommy. She is worth every scratch endured and every tear shed, without a doubt. Spend just two minutes with this little lamb and you will know just what I mean. It's impossible not to fall in love with her.
P.S. Tonight, Mark and I took Lucy & Molly to 'Cones and Bones' to get ice cream, followed by a trip to PetSmart so that Lucy could pick out a new birthday toy. Here is a picture of her waiting to get her ice cream. Is that a happy face or is that a happy face?
I wish you all could have seen how content she was on the way home - she kept putting her head on my shoulder from the back seat and nuzzling me, smiling the whole time. It was too cute for words and made me so happy. She has played non-stop with her new toy - an...ant-eater, I think, that makes a HOOONNNNNNNK sound every time she squeezes it. Which is a lot. Hey, guess I better get used to the noisy toys now, huh? ;o)
A week and a few days later, Molly had a pet and we had a little...situation on our hands.
To be fair to Lucy, our perception was skewed; Molly was pretty much the perfect dog from the day we got her. She made it reaaaallllly easy to look like good puppy owners. We taught her a couple tricks, but other than that, she was an angel from the get-go. So when we got Lucy - a year old at that point and set in her ways - it was a bit of a rude awakening: WE WERE ACTUALLY GONNA HAVE TO "PARENT" THIS ONE.
I recall coming home on the fourth day of having Lucy, stepping in yet another dominantly-laid puddle of her urine, getting scratched to shreds by her once again, and immediately bursting into tears. I wailed something along the lines of, "I...I don't liiiiike her....I'm not sure I can do this!!" It was pretty pathetic. Mark and I talked it over and decided we would give it until the end of the week - two days more, to be exact.
Not even kidding you, the next day, Lucy showed a tiny bit of improvement. And so she stayed.
It wasn't easy breaking her of the bad habits. Sadly, it was clear that whoever had owned her before she was rescued hadn't spent any time with her. She didn't even know how to sit, she jumped up non-stop (causing actual bloodshed - most likely due to anxiety and a fear of not getting enough attention), she never smiled and was very possessive and dominant over Molly - the older, bigger, more-seasoned dog in the house. I didn't know where to start, really. I began to show her that she would only get attention if she acted a certain, behaved way. Being the lover she is, that eventually began to pay off and she made great strides.
Two years later, I wouldn't hesitate to say that it's this gal who is the better-behaved dog of the two. She is my sweet little love, the one who is always there to give a little nudge and let you know she's there. She is smiley, gentle and kind, doesn't jump or scratch, and she listens so, so well. I'm very proud of how far she's come and am so glad we gave her the chance to prove that we had what it took as a team to get past the growing pains.
I guess you could say it was Lucy that gave me the confidence to know I could be a good, dedicated mommy. She is worth every scratch endured and every tear shed, without a doubt. Spend just two minutes with this little lamb and you will know just what I mean. It's impossible not to fall in love with her.
P.S. Tonight, Mark and I took Lucy & Molly to 'Cones and Bones' to get ice cream, followed by a trip to PetSmart so that Lucy could pick out a new birthday toy. Here is a picture of her waiting to get her ice cream. Is that a happy face or is that a happy face?
I wish you all could have seen how content she was on the way home - she kept putting her head on my shoulder from the back seat and nuzzling me, smiling the whole time. It was too cute for words and made me so happy. She has played non-stop with her new toy - an...ant-eater, I think, that makes a HOOONNNNNNNK sound every time she squeezes it. Which is a lot. Hey, guess I better get used to the noisy toys now, huh? ;o)
Monday, April 19, 2010
Bump Watch: 17 Weeks
Can you believe a week has already passed since the last belly pictures? I'll be 18 weeks along on Thursday! These pictures were taken tonight after a long, busy day at work following a fun and busy weekend spent visiting my best (and longest-running) friend, Tracy, in Chicago.
One thing I didn't expect but that was quite evident this morning is how tiring traveling is now that I'm pregnant. I'm so glad Tracy and I got our girls weekend in (mani/pedi's and a Michigan Avenue chocolate tour!) because we might not get to do it again for a loooong time, but mama is TIRED! This, my friends, would be why these photos were taken with me in my baggy pajama's. And this time, Lucy Lu got in on the action. How cute is she? And while I'm asking questions, how HUGE does my stomach look?!
One thing I didn't expect but that was quite evident this morning is how tiring traveling is now that I'm pregnant. I'm so glad Tracy and I got our girls weekend in (mani/pedi's and a Michigan Avenue chocolate tour!) because we might not get to do it again for a loooong time, but mama is TIRED! This, my friends, would be why these photos were taken with me in my baggy pajama's. And this time, Lucy Lu got in on the action. How cute is she? And while I'm asking questions, how HUGE does my stomach look?!
OK, gotta go. Molly clearly feels left out and is sitting under the desk whining like you wouldn't believe. And they say pregnant women are drama queens... ;o)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
They Call it Puppeh Love
You see up there in header, where it says, "...and then 'We' became 'Three'?" It's kind of misleading. The truth is, while we are expecting our first child, Mark and I have had two furbabies for quite some time! And yes, skin babies are waaaaaay different, but our love for these beauties knows no bounds - we are both total suckers for them. I thought it was only fair to introduce them to you (in case you don't already know them - and if not, that is shocking since I talk about them ALL THE TIME) so you know that we will actually be turning into a family of FIVE in September. :o)
Molly is always doing things that make me laugh. She likes holding hands and will continue to lift her paw until someone takes it - just to hang out and let you know she's there. She is the dog I go to when I need to decompress. I sit on the floor and she instantly trots over to me, turns, backs up, and then sits in my lap and stays there as I hug her until all the tension in my stomach has melted away. I'd feel pretty lost without her.
This beauty is Lucy. Lucy, an Australian Cattle Dog/Australian Shepherd mix, was another lucky rescue. We got her on June 8, 2008 - just a couple weeks after our wedding. She is the result of what happens when I cry during those ASPCA commercials (this was the Sarah McLaughlin one - SOB!). Mark caught me crying and said out loud, "Ok, OK! We can get a dog for Molly..." I find it hilarious, because while I'd been hinting at wanting another dog to keep Molly company, I certainly didn't expect it to be THAT easy. I mean, I cry about everything.
Lucy is my little cuddlebug. She is the most loving, sweet, trusting dog in the world. As long as you are giving Lulu attention, you can do pretty much anything to her and she won't budge. And yes, that includes grabbing her front paws while she is laying on her back (a favorite position that she noisily flops into upon seeing you approach her) and dragging her across the wood floors. Uh...please don't call the Humane Society citing abuse; I swear, she loves it!
Lucy makes the most awesome sounds - ones I've never heard a dog make before. She moooooo's when she lays down or relaxes. She also does this Tim Allen-esqe grunt when she's anxious or desperately wants to go out. It's really too cute for words. And when I think about the baby coming, I don't feel stressed about how this gal will do. I have a feeling she is going to be a big fan of our little one. I envision her coming to get me when the baby cries, and sitting patiently by the crib to make sure everything is going well. She is our fierce - yet gentle - protector, and I can't wait to see that love translate to the baby.
Remember how I mentioned squirrels? WELL. This is what happens when one of them scampers up a tree in our yard. Molly lumbers up and lazily pretends she can scale the tree, and Lucy reaches for the sky and sees no limit. Yep. That pretty sums up our pups. I hope you love them as much as we do. And really, I don't see how you couldn't.
This is Molly. She turned four years old today! Well, we pretend April 15th is her birthday, since we rescued her when she was roughly 6 months old on October 15, 2006.
She's a 75-pound Black Lab/Australian Shepherd mix who thinks she is a lap dog. She might be the best-behaved dog I've ever had the pleasure to know. Well...maybe not when there is a squirrel outside, but who can blame her?
Molly is always doing things that make me laugh. She likes holding hands and will continue to lift her paw until someone takes it - just to hang out and let you know she's there. She is the dog I go to when I need to decompress. I sit on the floor and she instantly trots over to me, turns, backs up, and then sits in my lap and stays there as I hug her until all the tension in my stomach has melted away. I'd feel pretty lost without her.
This beauty is Lucy. Lucy, an Australian Cattle Dog/Australian Shepherd mix, was another lucky rescue. We got her on June 8, 2008 - just a couple weeks after our wedding. She is the result of what happens when I cry during those ASPCA commercials (this was the Sarah McLaughlin one - SOB!). Mark caught me crying and said out loud, "Ok, OK! We can get a dog for Molly..." I find it hilarious, because while I'd been hinting at wanting another dog to keep Molly company, I certainly didn't expect it to be THAT easy. I mean, I cry about everything. 
Lucy is my little cuddlebug. She is the most loving, sweet, trusting dog in the world. As long as you are giving Lulu attention, you can do pretty much anything to her and she won't budge. And yes, that includes grabbing her front paws while she is laying on her back (a favorite position that she noisily flops into upon seeing you approach her) and dragging her across the wood floors. Uh...please don't call the Humane Society citing abuse; I swear, she loves it!
Lucy makes the most awesome sounds - ones I've never heard a dog make before. She moooooo's when she lays down or relaxes. She also does this Tim Allen-esqe grunt when she's anxious or desperately wants to go out. It's really too cute for words. And when I think about the baby coming, I don't feel stressed about how this gal will do. I have a feeling she is going to be a big fan of our little one. I envision her coming to get me when the baby cries, and sitting patiently by the crib to make sure everything is going well. She is our fierce - yet gentle - protector, and I can't wait to see that love translate to the baby.
Remember how I mentioned squirrels? WELL. This is what happens when one of them scampers up a tree in our yard. Molly lumbers up and lazily pretends she can scale the tree, and Lucy reaches for the sky and sees no limit. Yep. That pretty sums up our pups. I hope you love them as much as we do. And really, I don't see how you couldn't.
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